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Big **** deal...

When MLB's WBC was happening a bunch of US born players played for other countries. Mike Piazza even played for Italy and no one made a stink.

Fire the Coach!

Becky Hammon's story really shows us two things:

1. How far we've come since the Cold War. 20 years ago, Becky Hammond would have been unapologetically crucified for playing for the Russians...and writerman is of the era where he sees this as a diplomatic insult. But on the flip side of the coin, the Russians would never have had the audacity to ask an American with dual citizenship (a rarity then and, presumably, now) to join their ranks without swearing off allegiance to her native country.

2. How utterly useless the Olympics have become. We know the men's basketball team doesn't care. The people who chastise Becky Hammon for her "lack of patriotism" inherently believe that there is a patriotic element to the Olympic Games, which has long since passed us by. Anymore, the Olympics are all spectacle, and we've already passed from disillusionment to numbness.

Read this for more about the Olympics' growing irrelevance.

She's cute.

Shame on the coach for her comments, good for you Becky get to live out one of your lifelong dreams. I would of done the same thing if I were her.

On another note, since Russia has arguably the best WNBA "team" player on the National team what are the chances of them letting us bust out AK47 for team red white and blue. The way Russia feels about Kirilenko that might strike up some hostility. NBA fans would be opposed though cause why should Utah now have 3 players on the Olympic squad, right guys, right?






GO USA

NO SPAMMING

Edit: Blame Rasho

Alinchip wrote:Want to know how to get banned? You spam like me

Ban.

I would do Candace Parker.

PhilipNelsonFan wrote:Becky Hammon's story really shows us two things:

1. How far we've come since the Cold War. 20 years ago, Becky Hammond would have been unapologetically crucified for playing for the Russians...and writerman is of the era where he sees this as a diplomatic insult. But on the flip side of the coin, the Russians would never have had the audacity to ask an American with dual citizenship (a rarity then and, presumably, now) to join their ranks without swearing off allegiance to her native country.

2. How utterly useless the Olympics have become. We know the men's basketball team doesn't care. The people who chastise Becky Hammon for her "lack of patriotism" inherently believe that there is a patriotic element to the Olympic Games, which has long since passed us by. Anymore, the Olympics are all spectacle, and we've already passed from disillusionment to numbness.

Read this for more about the Olympics' growing irrelevance.

I think you and that author both kind of miss the point. The Olympics historically aren't about country vs. country nationalism they're about putting that aside for a while and having the best athletes in the world compete, so yeah the USSR vs. USA stuff made it a little more exciting but

As far as China looking worse because of the Olympics or the Olympics becoming less popular, both of those are just wrong. China is in Olympic fever right now, and the world has pretty much already forgotten the whole Tibet thing.

The Olympics will stay strong so long as the athletes from every sport continue to love the competition, atmosphere and all being together in the same place. People love being part of the Olympics. Just because the author himself has lost interest recently doesn't mean it's a global trend.

If i had the chance to play in the olympics with ANY country I would go for it.Her dream is to play in the Olympics and if it was with team USA then it would be a plus,but why would ANYBODY have a problem with somebody trying to fulfill their dream

This is as fair as it is going to get. I applaud her for it. Being an American is about chasing the American dream and that means take every opportunity,every avenue,and by any means necessary to achieve your dreams. That means that if you want to play in the Olympics, you go do it. Her dream would have been more on point if she could play for team USA but if it is about taking a sure thing and going on a whim, I'm taking the sure thing even though it may not be everything I wanted but it is close enough.

Anybody read that her contract with the Russian team pays her 4x(I think) what the WNBA pays her. I still work for a living and believe me if a company says I can go type crap overseas for another company for 4x what I make, you'd see me packing. And if they told me I would definately be a board member but if I stayed where I'm at and worked my butt off I could POSSIBLY get a spot on the board believe me I'm not even packing, I'm just hoping on the flight. Yes I would much rather be in America but they are not offering me the American Dream, Russia is.

Unpatriotic, are you serious? This is very patriotic, going after the green. Like outsourcing work in other companies to save a buck. How unpatriotic is that? Because it is not in the name of USA, it's not patriotic? DOg eat dog world and because the dog bites it's own rear because crap stinks, its someone else's fault.(I like it too). We created these money hungry people we call Americans who dont breathe and bleed Red,White , and Blue, we see and smell green. I think it was her right as an American to do what was best for her not her country like every other American who says they would do otherwise.

shes cute.
who cares if she wants to play for russia

here is my opinion on this Becky thing: I don't watch the wnba so I don't know how good she is or if she would even make the team on her own merrit, I don't know.

with that said, if you are not good enough to be selected by the team of your own country then you should not play for another country simply because their team is so second rate that you actually qualify on that team.

in other words, just because you suck, don't play for a sucky team in the Olympics simply because it is your dream to play in the Olympics.

I understand that a lot of athletes do participate in the Olympics for other countries that are not their own, but it just seems selfish to me and although I wouldn't go as far as calling her a traitor, I would call it an unpatriotic selfish act.

she will be representing herself more than she will be representing Russia and that is a diservice to russia and to the USA if in fact she is good enough to make the USA team.

the USA coach should be investigated in this case and perhaps fired if in fact Becky is good enough to make the team, but I still think Becky should not have sacrificed patriotic pride over her personal dream, but thats just me, a guy who has given 10 years (and counting) of his life to his country.

from what little i know she was a mvp candidate
18.8 ppg (4th)
5 apg (1st)
so i assume she should be good enough for the us team

snaquille oatmeal wrote:here is my opinion on this Becky thing: I don't watch the wnba so I don't know how good she is or if she would even make the team on her own merrit, I don't know.

with that said, if you are not good enough to be selected by the team of your own country then you should not play for another country simply because their team is so second rate that you actually qualify on that team.

in other words, just because you suck, don't play for a sucky team in the Olympics simply because it is your dream to play in the Olympics.

I understand that a lot of athletes do participate in the Olympics for other countries that are not their own, but it just seems selfish to me and although I wouldn't go as far as calling her a traitor, I would call it an unpatriotic selfish act.

she will be representing herself more than she will be representing Russia and that is a diservice to russia and to the USA if in fact she is good enough to make the USA team.

the USA coach should be investigated in this case and perhaps fired if in fact Becky is good enough to make the team, but I still think Becky should not have sacrificed patriotic pride over her personal dream, but thats just me, a guy who has given 10 years (and counting) of his life to his country.

It should be noted that Hammon is a Russian Citizen.

she is a Russian citizen only for the conveniece of travel because she plays in a Russian team in the off season and not because she loves Russia so much that she denounced her USA citicizenship, in fact she still a USA citizen as well.

snaquille oatmeal wrote:the USA coach should be investigated in this case and perhaps fired if in fact Becky is good enough to make the team...

How does being 2nd in MVP voting sound? Is that good enough for you to make the team?

snaquille oatmeal wrote:she is a Russian citizen only for the conveniece of travel because she plays in a Russian team in the off season and not because she loves Russia so much that she denounced her USA citicizenship, in fact she still a USA citizen as well.

Ever heard of dual-citizenship? Why would you only choose to be a citizen of one country if she has an opportunity to be of two. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. She spends a significant amount of her life in Russia so she can choose to play for them.

I have no idea why so many people are calling her out for this. It's the head coach that should be put to shame. Becky is a great player. You reject her offer and criticize her for choosing to play for another country that she's a citizen of? How can you call someone unpatriotic if they wanted to represent their country in the first place?

In fact, those who actually believes that she's selfish are selfish themselves. Not wanting a Russian citizen to play for their national team because she's also American, yet denyng her a spot on the USA Olympic roster. American patriotism? What about Russian patriotism?

OhMyBosh wrote:

snaquille oatmeal wrote:she is a Russian citizen only for the conveniece of travel because she plays in a Russian team in the off season and not because she loves Russia so much that she denounced her USA citicizenship, in fact she still a USA citizen as well.

Ever heard of dual-citizenship? Why would you only choose to be a citizen of one country if she has an opportunity to be of two. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. She spends a significant amount of her life in Russia so she can choose to play for them.

I have no idea why so many people are calling her out for this. It's the head coach that should be put to shame. Becky is a great player. You reject her offer and criticize her for choosing to play for another country that she's a citizen of? How can you call someone unpatriotic if they wanted to represent their country in the first place?

In fact, those who actually believes that she's selfish are selfish themselves. Not wanting a Russian citizen to play for their national team because she's also American, yet denyng her a spot on the USA Olympic roster. American patriotism? What about Russian patriotism?

when I said that she is a Russian citizen and a USA citizen, dual citizenship was implied so I don't know why you brought that up.

what I do call Becky on is the fact that the reason for her Russian citizenship is for traveling convinience and not patriotic allegiance to Russia. on that basis I see her decision to play for Russia as selfish and unpatriotic.

I am not saying she can't play for Russia. she can do whatever she wants, but I will say that she is making it about her and not about representing her country of patriotic allegiance.

so I will take the word of some previous posters and go with she is good enough for the USA team, then the coach should be investigated and hopefully fired.

I'm sorry, I don't think she's a "traitor" but you can't be an American and play in the Olympics for the f***king Russians. Give me a break. It's inconceivable that a woman who grew up during the 80s would think this was no big deal. Forget the Kob to italy comparisons, can you imagine how Russians would react if Kirilenko decided to give it a go with Team USA? Or better yet, what if David Beckham was snubbed by English soccer again and decided he was going to play for France? If this International BS is supposed to have any meaning at all, you can't have players selling out to what passes for rivals for a fat contract. She isn't a traitor but this isn't a feel good, "good for her" type story either.

Maybe this is how the US can finally catch up in International Soccer. How about we offer citizenship and a few million bucks to any top level European/Latin American players looking for spotlight and a quick buck,